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OnTop Silage: the new way of ensiling fodder beets
Dat Feedbite most dairy farmers agree that it is an attractive crop to grow in terms of quality and yield. However, the storage of fodder beets is sometimes still seen as a challenge. Fortunately, there are more and more new developments in this area that make optimal storage possible. In addition to the well-known methods such as bagging, storage as whole beet and mixed ensiling, a new form is gaining popularity: OnTop Silage.
The principle of OnTop Silage is the ensiling of shredded Feedbeet over the grass or corn silage. This method of storage offers dairy farmers a number of important advantages. We list them for you!
Harvest when yield potential is highest
Because the shredded fodder beet can be applied as a layer on top of the grass or maize silage, there is no need for early harvesting of the crop. The Feedbeet can simply be harvested later in the season, when the harvesting conditions and yield potential are optimal. Once the fodder beets have been harvested, they should be stored for another three weeks before being distributed 'OnTop' - on top of the underlying product.
Simple system
OnTop Silage is very simple. In order to leave sufficient space for the fodder beets on top of the grass or corn silage, the underlying product must be ensilaged to a maximum of 50 centimetres under the silo wall. On the day of 'OnTop' ensiling, the foil must be removed from the silage and then the shredding and application of the Feedbeet can be started. This layer must be built up from back to front to a pre-calculated height. It is not advisable to drive over the Feedbeet. The silage can then be covered again. The applied layer of Feedbeet will shrink within a few weeks to 40% to 50% of its original thickness.
Juices from the beets are 'collected'
Because the Feedbeet is ensilaged on top of the drier grass or corn silage, the press juices from the beets are absorbed by the underlying layer of grass or corn. The big advantage of this is that the juices do not disappear into the collection pit, but are retained in the entire silage. As a rule of thumb, the thickness of the layer of Feedbeet applied corresponds to the depth of the underlying layer in which the press juices have been drawn.
OnTop Silage calculation tool
To know how much Feedbeet you need to put on top to provide your livestock with the desired amount of product during the feeding period, KWS has developed a handy calculation tool developed. Based on, among other things, the number of animals to be fed, the size of the silo and the yield of KWS Feedbeet, aspects such as the final thickness of the applied layer of Feedbeet, the feeding speed in the silo and the number of feeding days can be mapped.
Do you have any questions about OnTop Silage?
Please contact KWS Agro Service Manager Arjan Lassche.
Phone: +31 6 100 540 76. E-mail: aryan.lassche@kws.com.
